[Hogwarts Between] Hagrid Gathers the First Years

[Margaret Dean]

> > >> > At one end of the platform stood a man with long, shaggy black
> > >> > hair and beard.  Several sizes larger than anyone else and draped
> > >> > in a long overcoat, he looked just too big to be allowed; but
> > >> > what could be seen of his face wore a broad grin, and his black
> > >> > eyes twinkled.  Waving a hand the size of a truck tire, he called
> > >> > out, "Firs' years!  Firs' years this way!"
> > >>
> > >> Seluna and Koramori both looked at eachother with a strange
> > >> expression. The man who was yelling for first years for Hogwarts
> > >> was huge. They were only about half his height, That they could
> > >> tell from far away. But he seemed friendly and they doubted that
> > >> a magic school would send someone who could hurt them to bring in
> > >> new kids. Seluna walked over to the man, carrying her suitcase
> > >> behind her. Mori right behind her as well. She carried Lucky in
> > >> her arms and looked up at the man. Her parents had never kept
> > >> books on magical creatures or fairy tales in the house, but Seluna
> > >> read about them at the library and at school. This man isn't big
> > >> enough to be a giant, and he didn't look like an ogre, even though
> > >> they were about his size, so maybe he wasn't a magical creature.
> > 
> > > Paloma followed the mans command and went over to him and waited for
> > > everyone else to get off the train.
> >
> > Gathering up his stuff Heath squeezed off the train. In retrospect he
> > decided it was much like being toothpaste being squeezed out of it's
> > bottle. After being jostled along Heath finally got a good look at
> > Hogwarts Castle. Shocked by the spectacle, Heath made the mistake of
> > standing still. Less than a second later he was shoved from behind
> > into another kid who shoved him into another kid and so on much like a
> > pinball bouncing off bumpers. This went on for a few more times until
> > Heath was shoved into the legs of the biggest man Heath had ever seen.
> > In fact, Heath's head just barely surpassed the man's pelvis. Looking
> > up Heath saw that the man was wearing a heavy overcoat and had beard
> > that would make a lion's mane look tame.
> 
> "Steady on, there, mate," said the big man as Heath collided with
> him, and he reached out a hand to keep Heath from falling over.
> 
> Raising his voice again, he called out, "Just leave yer stuff on
> the platform, it'll be taken up ter the school.  Firs' years,
> this way!"
>
> Kadyn stumbled his way off the train, his luggage being repeatedly
> battered back and forth. He chuckled slightly, as most of the first
> years seemed to be in awe, at least to him. He waved to a friend of
> his parents, who had just been passing through the station. He began
> to move towards the groundskeeper, who he had seen once or twice
> before out on the grounds of the school, 

or occasionally dropping in to his parents' shop in Hogsmeade,

> and quickly stopped and called back. "Amber, Cyrus, you coming?"
>
> Cyrus had grabbed his belongings and been sucked into the swirling
> mass of people. With Kadyn's call, he finally managed to get his
> bearings, and attempted to wade through the crowd to Kadyn and the
> huge man standing behind him.
> 
> Amber grabbed her stuff and cat and leaped into the crowd. She was
> bashed between kids, each time she hit one she let out a little
> "ahh!" and the occasional "Sorry." In all the moving, pushing kids
> she lost sight of Kadyn and Cyrus. "Kad- OOF!" she called as she
> got shoved by a large passing child. "Grr..." Then she heard Kadyn.
> "Yes!" and ran over.
> 
> Kadyn shook his head and chuckled a little. "I really hope our entire
> year isn't like this train ride. We'll go home with a lot of bruises."
> Kadyn then began to walk towards Hagrid, and the other gathering
> first years.
> 
> "Yea," replyed Amber then notaced the gigantic man looming over her
> and the other first years, "Woa, that's one big man..."
> 
> Kadyn nodded. "That's the groundskeeper, Hagrid. I've seen him
> once or twice." Kadyn bent over and whispered something in
> Amber's ear. "You might want to avoid angering a man that
> big..."

"Firs' years!" called the big man again.  "Any more firs' years? 
All righ', step this way.  Jus' leave yer stuff on the platform,
they'll take it up ter the school for yeh.  Hold on to yer
animals.  Down this path here.  Mind yerselves, it's pretty
steep!"

Hagrid led the straggling line of first-year students down a
narrow, rocky path bordered by thick trees, a looming shadow on
either side of them in the darkness.  Then they rounded a bend
and there was the distant castle, twinkling with lights and
mirrored on the waters of a dark, still lake.

A fleet of small boats was drawn up on the lake shore, and Hagrid
herded the students into them.  "No more than four ter a boat,
mind."

[OOC:  I'll pause here and let characters sort themselves into
boats.]


--Margaret Dean
  <margdean at erols.com>